A Pen? Are You Kidding Me?
by Moonlit Seas
Summary: Heaven's Pen of Life has been stolen, and a certain Italian angel and demon duo are hunting it down at any cost, and there will be costs. Later, other creatures show up with goals of their own. So who's the bad guy here? Hetalia Supernatural AU. Summary is absolute crap, story is aspiring author-level better. Rated M for Lovino's language and the like.
1. Chapter 1 - Introductions

**Hello and Welcome** to a first chapter of a new story by the author known as Moonlit Seas, or Faerin. Faerin cannot take credit for this all by themself because they had much help from their awesome RP buddies, Ven and Tobi. Because of this help, and the obvious time since my last fic was posted - its been two years, please do NOT read it, it is being re-written- this will be quite different.

**First off,** this story has been created from an ONGOING Chatzy RP the three of us have, with each person taking on a few characters and the mun's of said characters discussing/debating what ideas should pop up next in our plot line. I, Faerin, for reasons unknown to even myself, decided to fall head-over-heels for the story as it progressed, and put forth the notion of writing it up as a fanfiction, and then possibly posting it online. So here we are.

Secondly, I believe a **Summary** is in order. This story is a supernatural creatures AU. It is **Not **a crossover with the show Supernatural, although there will be elements reminiscent of it later on, seeing as it is popular with the writers and other aspects _just make sense_ for our setting. Speaking of setting, this is a modern time period, and is set on Earth, with reflection back to the various dimensions surrounding Earth. Most of the characters will be some creature or another. The rest of the story summary will be filled in as it goes along, because we don't want spoilers, now do we?

**(Dis)claimer:** I do not own Hetalia, nor these characters, Hidekaz Himaruya does and I thank him for that. The adaptations in character design and this specific portrayal of the characters belongs to Ven, Tobi, and Fay. Most of the dialog and action in this fic also belongs to Ven and Tobi. BUT this fic itself, and so far these notes too, belong to me, Fay, Moonlit Seas.

I also do not mean any harm if I reference specific religions and not others, and in no way am trying to force beliefs on anyone. Because of the nature of this universe, there will be talk of heaven, hell, the devil, angels, demons, and many other things, capitalized or not. In this universe all non-human creatures come from somewhere, and that somewhere affects humans in the way that it becomes things like stories and religion.

Each of the characters is meant to come from a world like this, that has affected humanity, and their species' history affects who they are, though we try to keep as close as possible to their canon personalities. Each of us has done research into their characters but no one of us can know _everything_. As much as we do research into these things, we also make up what we don't know or can't understand. If any of this offends or is in direct conflict with something you know of a supernatural we mention, please tell us, and we will talk to you.

**WARNINGS:** This fanfiction will contain Language, allusions to Violence, Sexual References, various disturbing content, attempts at humor, non-professional writing -i am not a published author-, character personalities edited for their individual situations, and copious amounts of "ve~"

Now, without further ado, _**THE STORY:**_

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A Pen? Are You Kidding Me?

**Chapter 1- Introductions**

An angel stepped into a dim warehouse, his auburn hair illuminated gently by the remaining dusty bulbs overhead. The light wasn't ideal, but it was sufficient for him to peer into the boxes, light brown eyes intent in their search. There was light energy coming from this place, and hopefully from the item he had been looking for. It would be difficult to find, a kind of needle in a haystack, as the dark warehouse was a near labyrinth of boxes, stacked crates, and dust in the unused portions. The angel coughed quietly as the dirt blew into his face from an opened box.

The auburn-haired one was alone in neither his quest nor this place, however. Another had been combing through the boxes and scanning the darkness since before the angel arrived. As the demon turned to make another sweep of the nearly dead building, he noticed the first figure, and his hazel eyes widened in shock. How long had the darker being not been alone?

Unfortunately the brunette demon was spotted soon after he had noticed the other person.

"Hello?" The angel asked, tone concerned, as it was difficult to see through the deeper shadows.

His long coat obscured the feathered wings, making the angel appear to be a human at this range, and at an even closer one should he be fortunate. For the demon, hiding his non-standard features was simply a matter of wrapping his tail around his waist and under the hooded sweatshirt concealing his wings. This was something he did before stepping into view.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a slight growl.

"I'm looking for something, ve~" The lighter of the two responded, seeming unperturbed by the demon's threatening tone.

"For what?" The brunette asked, spending more energy than necessary to be on guard against this person, and at the same time keep himself disguised.

"A pen." The other answered simply. This disturbed the demon further, and made the still unknown angel curious.

The darker force wondered what reasons a human could have for being in an old warehouse such as this, and why he would be looking for a **pen **of all things. That was just weird in the demon's opinion. His acquaintance could be looking for something similar to the brunette, but if he were that would make this situation so much more troublesome than it had to be.

"What about you?" The angel asked, curious and smiling, a picture of friendliness, if not for their current setting. It was this expression that made it unlikely that the auburn-haired one was simply a deluded homeless person looking for a place to sleep. "Why are you here, ve~?"

The angel's darker acquaintance nearly flinched. "I'm…looking for something too…" He said slowly, carefully. It was best to be on the safe side, and not let this human know the extent of what he had walked in on. It could get both of them in trouble, not that he really cared about a random human, or their kind in general. "Just stay out of my way." The hazel-eyed demon added.

The auburn-haired one was confused by the response, but answered in the way that seemed most natural to him.

"Do you want any help?"

The other in the room paused. The brunette couldn't understand why anyone would offer to help him, particularly in this nonsensical situation, but this person made just as little sense, which made his actions suddenly understandable. But there was not a way in Hell, Heaven, or anywhere else he would tell the full truth now. An excuse, an excuse, the demon needed an excuse.

"A-ah, look over there!" He suddenly called out, raised voice echoing slightly though the open areas. "I see something!" The demon had pointed in what was a random direction to him, but when the human began investigating, he realized there **had** been something there. "What the hell?" He commented to the open.

"Oh!" The lighter one exclaimed, moving behind a wall of boxes to find a figure both illuminated and silhouetted by flames. He stepped forward, intrigue obvious on his face and in his actions.

The more cautious of the two felt closer to disturbed than interested. "What the fuck is that?" He asked, not looking away from the human-like figure sleeping in front of them.

The person looked somewhat ragged and was sleeping soundly. His bed was blue fire, crackling near silently, and evidently not burning him at all. The oddly-colored glow bent the nearby hues, but it was still apparent that the sleeper had dark hair, and his silhouette made obvious the additional appendages a human would not have naturally. Pointed and light colored ears lay on top of his head, and multiple tails lay against his back and over his side. The end of one such tail twitched as its owner remained curled up and unconscious.

"What the fuck do you think it is?"

The demon looked up as he spoke and finally noticed his acquaintance fully. The fire was reflecting on the two of them as well, and the additional light made it much easier to gauge the human's appearance. He had auburn hair in a style similar to the brunette's own, light brown eyes and a long coat. He wasn't dressed terribly, the demon thought idly. As the darker being's eyes roved towards the floor, what looked like a feather caught his eye from under the coat.

"I don't know." The angel said quietly, not wanting to wake the figure on the concrete.

"Whatever it is," The brunette added, "It doesn't seem to be doing much." More questions bubbled up in his mind, some he couldn't stop from coming out, especially once the visible feather moved and revealed more.

"Who are you? What the **hell** are you?!" He yelled, deeming it safest to step back from the other, and possibly winged, one.

The angel in turn looked taken aback, and he followed the hooded figure back into a more open area, away from the sleeping creature. He was mildly surprised that it hadn't woken up yet, or rather the light being would be, if he weren't concerned with this person yelling at him. This person who just asked **what** he was. This person who now had **a tail** swishing through the air behind them.

"I'm Feliciano. W-What about you? What are you, ve~?" He asked, returning the question, and watching the other with fear.

"Lovino." The brunette opened his mouth to add something along the lines of, "I'm a demon, you asshole, couldn't you tell?" but he was cut off instead by a laugh from above the two.

The laugh itself was sadistic, and beyond pleased with itself. It was something to be expected from a child who had just put a worm in front of a frog and watched it be eaten, if that child were a small boy from a different place, long ago.

Both of the supernaturals on the ground jumped from the sudden noise and tracked the sound, though the demon's reaction was more violent and included a myriad of curses. This only seemed to amuse the owner of the voice as he laughed again at their expense.

"Who's there?" Feliciano asked, trying to keep his speech from shaking. His darker companion appeared to be having similar difficulties keeping his anger under control.

"What the fuck?!" Lovino yelled, tail lashing through the air behind him. "Who's there?!" The demon didn't seem to notice he had repeated Feliciano's statement.

"What are you looking for?" The voice asked them casually, as it **hadn't** just been making fun of them. Perhaps it never stopped, seeing as its owner must have been in the warehouse the entire time or the other two would have noticed. It was obvious now that this wasn't a child. The speaker was male, and had a slight accent; one that had been overwritten by time in this area.

The angel and demon's reactions to the question differed just as much as their species suggested.

"That's none of your business!"

"A pen."

Both spoke at nearly the same time and one line was yelled, as its speaker was still angry. The other answer was a statement of fact. The angel's logic suggested that although the figure in the shadows above them was scary; he could potentially still help them.

"Something like this?" The figure asked, and now his location was clear.

A shadow darker than those around him was perched on a beam and staring down at the two. There was motion in the darkness as something swished through the air behind him. From what the grounded two could see, he was relatively small, and very balanced as he sat to watch them.

The person's appearance, or lack of one, wasn't what caught the attention of the grounded pair, however. As the shadow leaned towards them, he twirled a small object between his fingers, which brought a short gasp from the angel. A short and rounded cylinder, swirled with gray and black, spun above them. The shadow was holding a fountain pen. A fountain pen that glowed gently from the incredible amounts of light energy it radiated.

The angel and demon startled as the one in current possession of the pen -the same pen they had each searched for so desperately- jumped from his perch to the ground, nimbly rolling to avoid the brunt of the impact. He stood and watched them calmly from ground level, several yards away. The brunette immediately fell into a defensive position should a fight break out. His angelic ally glanced to where the sleeping creature was and murmured a short spell to keep the other safe.

"Y-yes, like that." He said, gaze fixed on the pen. He had never seen an artifact this powerful before, and he felt drawn to it. It belonged to his people and Feliciano had to stop himself from reaching for the glowing object, and he repressed the urge to flee with it back to heaven.

The demon's response was one of more dramatic shock. His wings quivered beneath his sweatshirt, a flight response for a very different reason. While the angel was drawn to the holy aura, the opposing power was naturally repelled by it, to an extent.

"Hey!" He shouted, surprised by the volume of his voice in addition to the appearance of the long-sought writing implement. "Where did you get that?!"

"That is none of your concern." The shadow was slightly brightened by the pen he held, and the others could see he was smirking. "What is, is that an angel and a demon are working together. Are either of you rebelling?" The voice in his last sentence had taken on a melodic quality that mimicked his laugh, though the figure refused to express his amusement so directly.

The opposing two snapped to look at each other, stupefied by the thought of their kind's respective enemy in such close proximity. Through each of their minds snippets of stories flashed, tales they had heard since each had come into being as their current selves. The light being remembered nightmares he had had after being told in gruesome detail of the soulless ferocity demons unleashed on their victims. His demonic counterpart stiffened to hold back trembles when stories of how any angel would not hesitate to kill him, no matter the situation, reoccurred in his consciousness.

It took harsh moments for either to regain himself, though Lovino snapped a reply first.

"Shut the fuck up! Give that pen back, you bastard!"

"S-Si!" The brown-eyed angel added. "We need that back!"

The demon spoke again, adding a threat. "Don't make me have to hurt you."

"Hurt?" The figure questioned, tilting his head slightly. "That wouldn't be effective; I already am, though it's no matter."

The angel backed down somewhat. The words bothered him, and the shadow's offhanded tone only worsened the feeling. "What do you mean ve~?"

His question remained ignored as the enigmatic thief replied to a separate outburst.

"Besides, I need this more than the two of you could comprehend, even if I told the whole story."

"You don't know that!" The light being protested, "That's the Pen of Life! It belongs with my people, in heaven! We need it back!"

The frantic tone Feliciano used amplified the desperation in the angel's body language. He was leaning forward, eyes wide, and wings straining against the back of his coat. To Lovino, he looked like a hunchback, and the demon would have laughed in any other situation.

"Well I need it more! You bastards have had it since…" He flailed his arms, searching for the right words, or at the very least enough to complete his sentence. "…a while! Now it's our turn!" These two were talking about need and the brunette had to say **something** for comparison.

The angel blinked at his companion's antics. "This isn't about that! People can't get into heaven and that pen…" He shuddered a little from being reminded of the importance of his quest.

Lovino stopped, confused by this sudden turn. "Wait, what?" He paused to think. "It… What..? What the fuck does it do?" His angelic counterpart seemed disconcerted.

"The Pen of Life does a lot of things, angels use it to allow the dead into heaven, but… it has worse powers ve~." He explained with only the slightest hint of reluctance.

"Why do you need the fucking Pen? Can't you just open the gates for the poor bastards?" Lovino was still lashing out, but only because he had no idea what the Pen really did. He felt like a fool to be searching for something and know nothing about it. Feliciano shook his head in response.

"They have to be written in the Book, if they aren't they're stuck forever…" He frowned, wings slumping as well. "If I can't get that pen back, no one gets into heaven."

The demon rubbed his chin. There was still more to clarify. "So… is there a line to get in right now?" He laughed at the mental image that brought.

"No, they are stuck in limbo, wandering the earth, with no one who can see them or hear them…" Feliciano shook his head, feeling sorrow for the lost souls. The truth brought Lovino's mirth to an abrupt halt.

"That sucks…" He murmured, paying respect to the unfortunate dead.

It was all too easy to imagine specters wandering the streets and homes they once knew, afraid and alone. No living person to see them cry out for family or friends who couldn't hear them no matter how loud they tried to be. The dead who were supposed to move on to the afterlife, to Heaven, and who were blocked out by the absence of one item. It was a terrifying concept, even to the demon.

The auburn-haired one looked up at him. "What would you do with the Pen anyway ve~?" He looked around for the hidden figure, feeling helpless when he couldn't find them. He knew they needed to stop the Pen thief, but he was curious to hear Lovino's plans for the pen.

Lovino blinked at the sudden question. This was embarrassing… "U-Uh… Give it to my superiors…" He was somewhat surprised at the shame that was welling up within him. The brunette had just been doing what he had been told, so why did it feel like his answer was the wrong one?

Feliciano shuddered again. The thought of high ranked demons getting a hold of such a powerful item made him feel sick.

The figure in the dark chuckled again.

"That doesn't seem like it would end well…" He said, dragging out the sentence with mock sympathy.

The demon glared at the place where the voice hid once again.

"Then hand it over!"

That was an idea the angel supported full-heartedly, keeping in line with the most literal form of the phrase "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't." Feliciano wasn't even entirely sure that their thief was any kind of devil.

"I've already said I can't do that." The shadow said, and he moved to the side slowly, like a wild animal circling a potential opponent.

The demon's wings pressed against the confines of his hoodie and his tail whipped the air as a responding aggressive display. Lovino readied himself for a fight and the build in tension was **just **about to force him to lunge for the thief when there was a sharp 'CRASH' of shattered glass and the shadowy figure had disappeared with the Pen. The demon growled, looking around wildly.

"Where the fuck could he have gone?!"

Feliciano was just as distressed, but didn't show it the same way. He shook his head and glanced to the ground momentarily, then turned his gaze to Lovino. The auburn-haired one bit his lip.

"Can we call a truce? J-Just to find the pen?" He asked carefully. No one had ever attempted something like this before, no one in their right minds at least, and besides that demons were evil, right? But having an ally in the search for the Pen and its current holder would be better than Feliciano having to face them on his own.

Lovino turned to him and watched skeptically. He was confused now and doubly wary. "What happens when we find it?" He asked with a glare and crossed arms.

The brown-eyed angel shrugged as he honestly didn't know that answer. A few scenarios came to the forefront of his mind but none were kind.

"We work it out when we find it ve~" That seemed the safest route. He held out his hand with only the last finger raised. "Pinky swear, ve~?"

Lovino looked at the angel's hand then back at him entirely. He huffed. It _was_ probably best to have the angel help him find the already angelic item. "Fair enough." He held out his pinky and twisted it around Feliciano's in a promise.

The angel smiled and loosened his own finger from the hold before looking at his demonic counterpart. "Where do we start ve~?" He asked brightly.

Lovino on the other hand dropped his arm and felt like gagging... A pinky promise was such a stupid gesture... He was brought from his incredulous musings by the question and thought for a moment on that topic instead. "Uh... He's not here... so... outside..?" The brunette tried lamely.

Feli nodded a little. "Maybe the forest? If he was a kitsune, like I think he was ve~" He agreed and smiled; beginning to feel hopeful again.

The demon nodded. That made sense. He started out towards the warehouse entrance, pulled up his hoodie, and wrapped his tail around his waist before walking out, the angel following.

**End of Chapter 1**

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Wow, thank you for reading this so far, we really appreciate that you have. Typically, down here in the Author's Notes, things get rather boring, with the "please keep reading" and the "reviews would be great" and blah blah blah. But -even though I will be doing that- this section will be mainly used for clarification within the chapter. I will post here summaries of characters and settings, event summaries, and answers to your questions **As You Ask For Them**.

So yes, I, and hopefully my cohorts, will gladly accept your questions, concerns, ideas, and "you should have done this like this," as long as you are civil about it. We don't take kindly to bullying, it's against the law where Fay comes from. But anyways, we would absolutely LOVE to hear from people, so send us a message with what you want to hear or what you hope to see, and we will answer those down here, or in a PM should you request it. Unfortunately though, spoiler information will not be given until the appropriate time, or until it is clarified withing the story.

**SO CURRENTLY:** Feliciano is an angel. Lovino is a demon. Someone stole the Pen of Life and was a real ass about it. The thief is believed to be a kitsune.

**Definitions** (will usually be in the top section)

"Supernaturals"-noun- A non-human creature, typically described by myth and belonging to some dimension or another. One can be born as a supernatural or become one while alive, such as a vampire, or after death, like an angel or demon.

"Earth" -noun- The mortal plane, as opposed to the spectral plane, which contains the multitude of dimensions. Earth connects to each of these dimensions and houses humans.

"Dimension" -noun- The realms that surround Earth, each coexisting among mortals but separate in the spectral/spiritual plane. Religions and myths are representations among humans of the different dimensions. (Feliciano and Lovino are from the dimension associated with Christianity and other beliefs similar to it, for example) The dimensions know of each other but interaction is extremely limited as the bridges between them are locked, lost, or hidden.

** Notes: **Chapter 2 is completely finished and ready to be uploaded, however I will be waiting a couple weeks to post it, because Chapter 3 is still in it's preliminary stages and I don't want to make the wait too long. This will however be at least 12 chapters of varying length, for that I apologize.

On that note, the wait between chapters will be bothersome due to real life, the RPing needed to continue this, and the way we transfer this from RP text to literary form. I hate not posting just as much as you don't like not hearing from fics for a while but here's a promise. I WILL see this story through to the end even if I have to write it up all by myself. I doubt it will come to that.

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Thanks for reading, please send us some feedback, and we'll see you in Chapter 2! *blows kiss*

(0/w\0)

\(0w0)/


	2. Chapter 2 - Kitsune

**Hello and Welcome Back** to this story in it's second chapter! I promised this would have it posted in "a couple weeks" and I met that estimate -for once- even though I meant to update two days ago. That didn't happen due to my, and this is still Fay's, school flooding, and there was no computer access, and I was bored from being online, and- you know what, never mind, you don't care about that stuff anyways. (I apologize only a little bit for my last set of Author Notes, as you can see I'm working it out.)

**A few words**: This story has been created from an ONGOING Chatzy RP that people known as Faerin Seagle, Ven and Tobi all share, with each person taking on few characters while discussing/debating ideas in the background. Fay, for reasons unknown to even themselves, decided to fall head-over-heels for the roleplay's plot and the amount of work that was put into it. They put forth the notion of writing it as a fanfiction and posting it online. All that happened, so here we are.

Also, this story is a supernatural creatures AU of Hetalia, meaning that many characters are not, or at some point will not be, human. This is NOT a crossover with the show Supernatural, although there will be elements reminiscent of the TV series later on, seeing as it is popular with the fic writers and the "borrowed" aspects _just make sense_ with this setting. (A side note that many other works also include things like hunters of other-worldly creatures so we aren't stealing)

**The AU:** is relatively modern-day, and is set on Earth, with some reflection back to the other "dimensions" surrounding Earth. Specifically it is set within a city and the forest and smaller towns that surround it. Most of the main characters will be some form of creature or another, with various side-humans to advance the plot. If the story seems rushed, it is because this is the kind of adventure that is very slow until there is a breakthrough. You'll see what I mean with more chapters.

In this universe all non-humans come from somewhere, and that somewhere -being connected to Earth from a spiritual plane- affects humans in the way that it becomes represented on the mortal plane by things like stories and religion among human cultures. Each of the characters is meant to come from a world like this, that has affected humanity, and their species' history in turn affects who they are, though we try to keep as close as possible to their canon personalities.

Each of us has done research into their characters but no one of us can know _everything._ As much as we do research into these things, we also make up what we don't know or can't understand or what fills in the grey areas of the plot/setting. If any of this offends or is in direct conflict with something you know of a supernatural we mention, please tell us, and we will talk to you.

**(Dis)claimer:** I do not own Hetalia, Hidekaz Himaruya does and I thank him for it. The adaptations in character design and the specific portrayal of the characters in this chapter belong to Fay. The dialog, actions, and words of this chapter as well as this fic itself belong to Fay too. So do the Author Notes this far.

We do not mean any disrespect by referencing specific religions and not others, and in no way are trying to force beliefs on the readers. They would know if we were, Fay isn't THAT good with words. Because of the nature of the universe we use here, there will be talk of heaven, hell, the devil, demons, angels, gods, spirits, and many other things, capitalized or not.

**Story Thus Far: **Feliciano is an angel. Lovino is a demon. Someone stole the Pen of Life and was a real ass about it. The thief is believed to be a kitsune. The three met in a warehouse, where a fourth had been sleeping. The thief from the shadows confronted them, and then took Feli and Lovi by surprise when he ran off instead of fighting the Lovino.

**Definitions:** (subject to editing as the story progresses)

"Kitsune"-noun- A being from various dimensions mainly known towards Asia. Each kind has a basic skill set that changes between the dimensions that have them. The kitsune featured here are the light beings associated with Japanese myth. They are fox-spirits -simply called "foxes"- who can be classed as either celestial or rougue/wild

**WARNINGS: **This chapter (is SHORT) will contain allusions to Violence, much character insight, mild Language, Fay's writing, and character personalities edited for their individual situations

Now, without further ado, _**THE STORY:**_

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A Pen? Are You Kidding Me?

**Chapter 2 – Kitsune**

The figure from the warehouse leaped out a window and darted between other structures of similar build. He had the Pen, and now knew there were others after it. This was what had been predicted and what the raven-haired one had been tasked with finding. He kept running, flitting between darknesses as he had his entire life. Red eyes glinted in the dark as the shadow sought the designated meeting place.

The city's edge soon gave way to the next town's suburbs. As much as he doubted those other two would follow him in this direction, the quicker he slipped through the barrier the better. The magic his master used would block the light energy of the Pen from reaching any who would claim it. That fact in turn would protect the kitsune bearing it.

'Heh.' The fox spirit thought to himself, 'As if I ever mattered. I could have been taken by an archangel and I doubt my "master" would care so much as he got what he wanted. Like a child.' He huffed and kept on his feet, ignoring the pain from the shattered window's glass.

The gathered clouds opened again, soaking the dark-clad kitsune. He grumbled with more fervor as his tails and scarf became waterlogged. Worse was how the thought and feel of the rain turned his thoughts back to his family and how they hated the wet, the cold and the damp. It brought him a bitter happiness that always somehow managed to taste like medicinal herbs.

The raven took shelter under an overhanging roof and on the raised porch below. Thunder echoed among the swirls of gray, illuminated by bright flashes of sound. A slight smile played across the fox's lips as he watched the night's silver rain. He eyed the splashes and puddles caused by the downpour. This would be the closest to peace he could have in these times.

The home's front door opened and the kitsune was dragged back into the dark. On instinct he snarled, and was not rewarded for his trouble. The red imprint of the smack flared across the raven's skin and he let it burn him momentarily. Within the dark was normally safety, so long as one could best what lurked with cruel intent within. This opponent had bested **nothing**.

'Spoiled child.' He spat within his own mind. The spirit despised those who never learned –and worse never needed to learn- the harsh realities of the world. An unfortunate affect those realities had, that few never heard, required subordination and false respect. It hurt the kitsune to remember that he didn't always think so coldly, like the rain...

All inner monologues were cut off by a rumbling voice. "Do you have it?"

The shadow scoffed at its darker superior. "Where would I be if I didn't?" The answer was apparent, though the tone still managed to wash fear over him.

"In whatever Hell will accept you, mutt."

The kitsune shivered. He didn't want to hear more. Not now.

The sharp voice spoke again, changing the subject with a smoother tone, and for the moment sparing the fox more torment. "Do you have what else I asked for?"

Damn it.

"No." The shadow answered. "There were two though. An angel and a demon, both after the Pen. Neither of them said who they were."

"Then you should have found out!" His master yelled. The sound reverberated through the room and subsequent halls like the thunder through the outside clouds.

"I couldn't-!" He protested, being cut off again. The pain this time was duller, but more intense, and would leave dark flowers the next day.

"You could have. You know your job. You understand what happens when ends are not met. Do you hear me?"

The thief looked into the eye of the storm, his own a captive blaze.

"I do."

**~~~~~Line Break~~~~~**

In the empty warehouse, another figure stretched and stood from his bed of blue fire. The dark outside didn't scare him as it once had when he first arrived in this place. Now it was a means of keeping himself hidden. Most people who were about during the hours he was now awake would think of his odd appearance as a vision induced by inebriation or intoxication.

He called the flames back to him, and let them light the area as sleep fell away. The kitsune walked out the opened front door and into the night. Clouds were gathering nearby, he noticed absently. A quick head shake refocused him on the task at hand. Go back into the city, and resume searching.

The dark-haired kitsune slowly walked through side streets and alleyways, stopping every so often for a more detailed look at the corners under fire escapes, and in the dusty edges of sidewalk curbs. Not one of them revealed what he had been looking for.

The spirit lashed his tails in frustration but did not let the feelings break him. Too much of that had happened recently, and the kitsune wished for more control over himself. After a moment's musing he dismissed the notion. Emotions were not something to cast away lightly, no matter what they did to you. As long as the results weren't devastating, they would be fine. So would he.

The two flames he kept at his side provided enough brightness to see in the places where city lights made shadows. His light against human darkness. It was an odd concept and not one he often liked to consider. As harsh as his time on Earth had been, and how much worse it had been in this past month, he tried to not think of this world as the terrifying thing many liked to delude themselves with.

The night's search was cut short when thunder crashed overhead. The kitsune looked up and thought of home for a moment. He thought of the gods, goddesses, and others of his kind who knew him. The spirit wondered if they worried. There were of course reasons to not be, but he dismissed them as one brushes away a concern that always returns, solemnly.

Shelter was his next immediate thought as the sky began soaking him. The kitsune himself was waterproof, but the fire he used for light, and even company was not. They hissed and steamed as the rain drove into them mercilessly. As the spirit was not a cruel master to the flames he wielded, he hid them from their natural predator.

The sudden absence of that comforting blue light at once made the rain seem that much darker; that much colder. The kitsune looked around quickly for any place out of the wet, a back porch, abandoned apartment or even a fire escape would be of some help. He shivered in the cold as his clothes began to stick to his swiftly dampening form.

The next alleyway was walled in part by a building he had seen many humans entering and leaving, but the danger currently was not priority. Instead an overhang from a low room's balcony -a flaw in design he noted- would be a good sleeping place. The kitsune crawled under it quickly and ignored the collected dirt. Not getting hypothermia was a better option at the moment than staying as close to immaculate as a bedraggled kitsune could be. The fox spirit curled up under the fire he had amassed as a blanket and fell to sleep again.

What he had failed to notice was the light presence already inside, and the lamps in several rooms flickering out.

**End of Chapter 2**

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Thank you for reading and keeping up thus far, it is very much appreciated. Chapter 2 was written by Fay, all on their own! They love all of their characters except one, which should be obvious.

**Notes: **This chapter is very short compared to the last and was finished before it predecessor because of dilemmas with the first Chapter -missing messages- as well as it's introductory status and easy pacing. Plus Fay was writing for their own characters, which made it easy.

This chapter is very heavy on imagery, and is at the same time somewhat vague. This was done on purpose. It is meant to be an introduction to a few more characters in a separate way from Feliciano and Lovino, as well as an example of their views and values. Most people should be able to understand what went on in the text but please ask if it is confusing.

The imagery. That was a TON of fun to write, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. However it IS important. Great Gatsby level important for the people who's schools have had them read that book. The imagery by itself very nearly gives away who the unnamed characters are, at least in the first section. Some people should already know who the thief and the homeless kitsune are. Others should be able to find out who the mystery guy connected to the thief is with minimal searching, based on the info I gave.

Hint: The main themes for the imagery are storms, fire, light, and dark.

example: (really this is just Fay showing off some of the little things they did by accident and really like) "smack flared" is the sound of a lighter making fire.

Anyone who can pick up on some of the things I hide between the lines throughout the story gets cookies from Fay.

**The Usual: **Fay, and hopefully their cohorts, will gladly accept your questions, concerns, ideas, and "You should have done this like this," as long as you are civil about it. We don't take kindly to bullying, it's against the law where Fay comes from. But the point is that we would absolutely LOVE to hear from people who read this, so send us a message with what you want to hear or what you hope to see, and we will answer those in this section, or in a PM should you request it. If you want to know about the characters or the places, we'll answer those too if we can. Unfortunately though, spoiler information will not be given until the appropriate time, or until it is clarified withing the fic. If your question has spoilers as an answer, someone can send you a Private Message saying this, as long as you give us a place to contact you online.

**SO CURRENTLY: **There are some new characters to follow. Both are kitsune but they are not the same person. The shadow thief is a pessimistic asshole, working for some, other creepy guy who wants something. Kitsune #2 is looking for something too, but he is much less spiteful than the first, and much less of a jerk than the first's boss.

**Next chapter estimate:** Some time late next month, which will be June 2014 or early July. Chapter 3 "Triad" is still being turned from RP to story, and has yet to enter the editing process. Chapters 4 through 6 have been divided and have yet to begin switching formats. I will try my very best to update once a month.

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Again, thanks for reading, please send us some feedback, and we'll see you in Chapter 3! *blows kiss*

^ ^  
(0/w\0)

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\(0w0)/


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